Extreme Sports

Extreme sports sprang from small groups of rebellious, adrenaline-fueled athletes exploring uncharted territory, much like the Z-Boys taking their skateboards to the drought-stricken pools of California in the 1970s. These days there is a whole lot more on the line, with career-making endorsements hinging on perfect 720 degree spins and butter-smooth landings. On show at CES this week, the XsensrAIR sensor is aimed at extreme sports enthusiasts looking to take their craft to the next level, offering feedback on their performance in real time. Read More

Have you ever wondered how many helium-filled balloons it would take to lift you up and let you fly among the clouds? Extreme sports enthusiast Erik Roner recently found out. Roner attached 90 helium-filled balloons to a sun lounger and rose to 8,000 ft (2,438 m). Read More

Among the swarm of consumer drones to emerge this year, a number have been aimed squarely at action sports devotees. What defines these vehicles is a tracking feature that enables the drone to autonomously follow athletes from above, but these generally require the user to carry a smartphone to communicate their GPS position. Streaming from a built-in camera to a smartphone app, the Mind4 drone instead allows users to select any object to follow onscreen, a feature that could lead to new possibilities in aerial drone photography. Read More

Technological advances haven't just led to more comfortable homes and more productive workplaces, they've also provided thrillseekers with new and inventive ways to get the adrenalin pumping, with Wakeboarding (now possible without a boat), skydiving and wingsuit flying just some examples of extreme sports enabled by modern technology. Now Aaron Wypyszynski, founder of Alabama-based Wyp Aviation, is looking to combine elements of these three sports in WingBoarding, which would see a rider towed behind a plane atop a winged board – yes, seriously. Read More

You probably wouldn't try using the same motorbike for both racing over rough trails and commuting on smooth roads, so ... why use the same prosthetic leg? That's the thinking behind the Moto Knee, a prosthesis that's designed for activities such as skiing, horseback riding, cycling and motocross. In order to withstand the impacts that come with such activities, it even incorporates a Fox DHX Air mountain bike shock absorber. Read More

You could be forgiven for forgetting that Red Bull sells more than 5 billion cans of soft drink a year. For every logo you see on a can of energy drink, there must be another five plastered on screaming Formula One cars, upside-down motorcycles, stunt planes and skateboards. Red Bull almost single-handedly created the energy drink market we know today, piggybacking on the rise of extreme sports to get its brand out there ... and delivering some truly memorable marketing stunts along the way. Here's our five favorites. Read More

Remember a few years ago when Razor scooters were the thing every kid wanted to have? While the trend may have died in the mainstream, there are still dedicated scooter riders out there, and a quick trip to any skatepark will likely yield just as many scooter riders as skateboarders. A company called Fuzion Scooters is looking to mix things up a bit by adding a little bit of pogo stick action to the JumpX scooter. Read More

Those looking procure their own DTV Shredder are in luck. The DTV (Dual Tracked Vehicle) that first crossed our desks in 2010 is now available for purchase. And the price of being able to tear it up over practically any terrain (with the exception of public roads)? US$3,999. Read More

For the past several ski seasons, Recon Instruments has been designing, tweaking and partnering with other companies on its GPS-based ski goggles, which provide real-time feedback about speed, distance, vertical and other key indicators. The company has now officially re-purposed its technology for skydiving, BASE jumping and wingsuit flying. Read More